According to Dr. Edward L. Felix, medical director of the hospital’s bariatric program, it’s a designation reserved for only the best programs in the United States.
 

“The accreditation process looks at patient outcomes, as well as the facility and whether it has all the equipment needed for bariatric patients – those ancillary things like scanners, an emergency department and intensive care,” said Dr. Felix.
 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) also places stock in this designation – limiting Medicare coverage to procedures performed in facilities certified by the ACS or the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery.
 

The American College of Surgeons was founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical education and practice and to improve patient care. The College has more than 77,000 members and is the largest organization of surgeons in the world.